Trang An Landscape Complex
Located on the southern edge of the Red River Delta, the Trang An Group of Landforms is a spectacular landscape of limestone karst peaks interspersed with valleys, many of which are partially flooded and surrounded by steep, near-vertical cliffs. Explorations of caves at different altitudes have revealed archaeological traces of continuous human activity for more than 30,000 years. They show the occupation of these mountains by seasonal hunter-gatherers and how they adapted to major climatic and environmental changes, especially the repeated inundation of the land by seawater after the last Ice Age. The history of human occupation extends from the Neolithic and Bronze Ages to historical times. The ancient Vietnamese capital of Hoa Lu was strategically established here in the 10th and 11th centuries AD. The site also includes temples, pagodas, rice fields and small villages.